Sunday, October 25, 2015

My Strange Adventures: An Interview With Little Finch Cosplay

Bayonetta: Everage Studios Photography

Finch is many things; cosplayer, roleplayer and model. I first became aware of her work through Everage on Deviant Art. I've been a fan ever since. Recently I got a chance to interview her and find out a bit about her passion for cosplaying. 1) How long have you been cosplaying?

I honestly can't remember. My first cosplay was accidental, when I was really young I was Chun Li for Halloween, a costume my mother agreed to make for me because I could also use it as figure skating outfit.

2) How many costumes have you created and worn?

Once again...I've lost count. My mother made my first few costumes, and I have others made by a very talented friend, but this year I've made about 7 or 8 for me and other people.

Catherine: Dream Land Photography

3) Are you a gamer? If so, what are some of your favorites?

Up until recently I didn't actually own any consoles, I only have handheld systems. Some games (like Bayonetta and Devil May Cry) I prefer to watch rather than play, but lately I've been wasting far too much of my life on Fire Emblem: Awakening. It reminds me somewhat of Final Fantasy Tactics, which is another game I've loved for a long time and I hope to cosplay from it soon.

4) You've done a few different Bayonetta photoshoots. Is she one of your favorite characters to dress up as?

Definitely. My Bayonetta 'cosplay' kind of started as a joke, my girlfriend styled the wig for me because she thought that hairstyle might look good on me, and I love Bayonetta as a character...it went over pretty well on my page, so I started doing casual photoshoots in outfits I thought she might wear. Especially by the second game, Bayonetta is very carefree and playful, which is always fun during photoshoots. Hopefully next year I'll do one of her actual in-game outfits, I'm thinking of the policewoman one from Bayonetta 2.

Velvet: Everage Studios Photography

5) I've gone to my fair share of comic book conventions. But never in a costume of any type. What's it like going to conventions as a character?

Going to a con in cosplay is pretty much an instant icebreaker. I find it's really easy to meet people who are into the same things as you are, especially if you cosplay from things you really like. But it's probably not for everyone, since you will get more than the average amount of attention.

6) You do fansigns and birthdayfansigns on your FaceBook page. How many requests do you get a week?

Per week I get anywhere from one to ten requests, generally. For a set of character fansigns I cap at 50...or at least I try. I let other people slip in after the cap occasionally.

Saber: Sheena Liu

7) Speaking of the fansigns. You often do multiple characters on a specific day for fan's birthdays. How hectic can that get?

I take them all ahead of time and just post them on the days...but I sort characters into 'groups' with similar makeup palettes so I can go from one to another easily on a day when I have a chance to catch up on them. For example, I can go from Ryuko to Tharja to Bayonetta just by building on that base makeup. Nonon to Cordelia to Mitsuru is another group, since they all have pink or red hair and similar colour schemes.

8) What's it like from start to finish working on a costume?

For me it's pretty stressful since I don't actually enjoy the process of sewing. But my least favourite part of a costume is drafting the pattern, I don't have a lot of experience with it and it can get pretty frustrating. I try to give myself a lot of time so I can walk away if I find myself getting angry at it.

Cordelia: Setsuna Cosplay Photography

9) What inspires you the most creatively?

I'm a roleplayer first and foremost, so my goal in any cosplay is to portray the character as best I can. When I'm doing an actual outfit, I try to choose my fabrics to 'feel' like the character (for example, my Saber dress is made of satin and cotton velvet, which I felt were suitably 'kingly' materials). If it's a casual or pinup shoot, I like trying to imagine what kind of clothes or swimsuits or lingerie the character I'm portraying would likely wear. Would they dress fancy or sporty? Do they like leather or lace? Staying true to the character is my greatest inspiration in anything I do.

10) Any advice for aspiring cosplayers out there?

Start small, and don't give up! No one is perfect from the start. And this is just me, but I recommend doing what you love and not what you think will make you popular. Even if you do get popular, you won't have a good time if you're stuck doing something you don't really like.